‘Princesses, the King has summoned you to the royal palace for lunch in the gardens,’ one of the palace ladies informed nine girls who were playing in the Japanese styled garden in the centre of the Jewel Palace, the main palace in which the nine princesses resided in.
‘Ehh?? Why so sudden? Is Mum there too?!’ Princess Sooyoung exclaimed.
‘Your Highness!’ an old lady who was walking towards the nine princesses and palace lady, scolded, ‘when in public, a princess must always remain composed and calm, and they must not address the Queen as “Mum”.’
‘Ahh… mianhae, Ajumma Kim,’ Sooyoung smiled cheekily at the old caretaker who had played a big role in raising the nine princesses.
‘Yes, well, when Lady Han tells you to report to the Main Palace, don’t question her because they were orders from your father, the King,’ Ajumma Kim said.
‘Yes…’ the princesses said as they trudge to their rooms to get ready for lunch in the Royal gardens.

The princesses, Taeyeon, Jessica, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona and Seohyun, the King and the Queen were all eating quietly on a deck overlooking the small river that ran through the Royal Palace. Jessica, Seohyun and Sunny had stopped eating, as they were full, and watched intensely as their other six sisters scoffed down their lunch, as if they weren’t given luxurious meals whenever they wanted.
‘Can you stop watching me eat?’ Hyoyeon asked her three sisters.
‘Why?’
‘Because it’s making me feel weird…’ Hyoyeon mumbled.
‘Then stop eating, unnie, you’re going to get fat,’ Seohyun said bluntly.
‘Yah! Yah!’ Sooyoung yelled, ‘we’re not going to starve ourselves like you to stay skinny.’
‘Unnie!! I’m not starving myself!’ Seohyun cried.

‘Girls,’ the Queen warned her daughters to behave themselves in public.
‘Sorry…’ they apologised and went back to being silent.
‘Ahem,’ the King cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention as he placed down his chopsticks.
Everyone around the table looked up at him, even the guards standing on the edges of the deck looked up at the King.
‘Well, I have an announcement to make,’ the King said, ‘as you know, there have been many suitors asking for Taeyeon’s hand in marriage, as she is the oldest, yes?’
‘Yes.’
‘This made me think, and it’s about time that you girls got married, you are all at the right age, and no one is going to marry you when you get too old.’
‘What?! Married?!?!’ Sunny screamed as Yuri and Yoona choked on their food.
‘You have to be kidding me,’ Tiffany muttered under her breath.
Soon, all the girls were arguing and protesting against the idea of marriage.

‘Girls, girls, I know you don’t want this, but you’re father is right. This is the perfect time to get married and we cannot look after you forever, this is the life of a princess,’ the Queen said.
‘Ahh… but I don’t want to…’ Yuri pouted.
‘Does that mean we all have to live separately?’ Yoona cried.
‘I don’t want to be separated from unnies!!’ Seohyun whined, ‘I’m not even interested in anything except Keroro and sweet potatoes!!’

‘My decision is final!’ the King snapped angrily, sometimes being sharp was the only way to control the princesses.
‘… okay,’ they mumbled tearfully.
‘I know you don’t want to, but this is tradition, and I’m not about to break it. Besides, I’ll find good husbands for you, and also make sure that our country can benefit from the marriage,’ the King said gently.
‘Arasso… does that mean you already have people in mind?’ Sunny asked.
‘Yes, I’ve already assessed all the candidates, and I have also made a deal with each of their countries. You will be engaged, and your fiancées will stay here, at our palaces until your own palaces are built and you can move in there,’ the King informed them.
The girls smiled a bit, at least they’d have time to say goodbye.

The nine princesses were all in the resting room that connected each of their rooms together. This room had a very large bed so it could fit all the princesses, many couches and chairs, a large table other a lot of other things the princesses owned.

Sooyoung collapsed on top of the large bed, landing on top of Yuri and Hyoyeon’s legs.
‘Sooyoung!’ Hyoyeon cried.
‘Mianhae…’ Sooyoung mumbled tiredly as she crawled under the sheets, next to Yuri and Hyoyeon.
‘I can’t believe we’re getting married soon!!!’ Sunny cried angrily.
‘I know!!! I don’t want to!!’ Jessica yelled.
‘Whoa, that’s the first thing Sica’s said since we found out that we were getting married,’ Tiffany joked.
‘Not funny, Fany,’ Jessica eyed her sister.

‘What if we have to get married to some old man?’ Seohyun asked Taeyeon, fearfully.
‘Weren’t you listening?’ Taeyeon said as she stood up from the couch and started pacing the room, ‘they are all around our age.’
‘Oh, yeah!’ Seohyun smiled.
‘I wonder who they are…’ Hyoyeon sighed as she stared at the ceiling.
‘I wonder if he’ll love me… or if I’ll love him…’ Yuri said as she snuggled into Hyoyeon.
‘Who know, Yul… maybe, maybe not…’ Yoona mumbled, defeated as she leaned her head against the table.

‘I wonder who will marry a prince…’ Sooyoung said.
‘Aren’t we all?? Nothing less for a princess you know,’ Sica said.
‘Yeah, well, some of us are getting married to important figures of the countries, some generals, advisors and so on. There aren’t enough princes our age that are good enough,’ Taeyeon explained.
‘Aren’t good enough?’ Sunny asked.
‘Yeah, like they aren’t very handsome, or smart, or wouldn’t treat us properly, or their country’s status isn’t enough to match ours.’
‘Ohh…’
‘Ladies,’ a maid said as she walked inside the room, ‘it’s time to sleep now, shall I get your beds ready?’

(a/n): hehe, a new story!! Welcome readers!! The first chap is a bit boring... but hopefully, it will get better ^^

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